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I have had my sparrow terrace up for 2 years now and never cleaned it out.
First year bluetits nested in the end compartment and last year sparrows nested in the same compartment (more than one brood) and in both years the other 2 compartments have remained unused (I think!).
As it is very difficult to reach I was wondering if I should make the effort to reach the box (I may need to get a 'man' in!) or could I leave it alone maybe for another year.
Do birds clean out old nesting material or use the same nest.
Ideas please!
It's not always easy to hug a hedgehog.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
Hi Madpenguin, i've moved this to the forum about nesting boxes.
Birds like the house sparrow do a bit of housekeeping, taking out anything they don't want and always adding fresh material to line their nests. If the box is in an awkward place then you can leave them to make their own changes, after all nobody clears out their natural nesting cavities every year!
Where nesting boxes are situated in convenient places for cleaning we recommend removing the material in the autumn and scrubbing it out to remove any unwanted parasites. After cleaning we advise leavin the box to air dry before putting it back so that birds can scope it out for nesting in the following spring or as a winter roost. It's best not to do anything at all to a nest box between February and September.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.